Download The End of the Cold War

The End of the Cold War
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There was a warming of relations (decrease of tension) between these two countries.
It was a period of détente.
Three accomplishments of détente.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (to limit the spread of nuclear weapons,
signed by the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain)
• SALT ONE (to limit the number of ICBMs, signed by the Soviet Union and the
United States)
• SALT TWO (to accomplish nuclear parity)
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Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
AFGHANISTAN
WHEN: 1979
SO WHAT?
(Significance / Impact / Consequences)
It appeared as if the Soviets were
attempting to take control of the Persian
Gulf.
ACTION TAKEN:
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan and
installed a new dictator, Babrak Karmal, as
President of Afghanistan.
OUTCOME:
As a result of Soviet action in
Afghanistan the United States and other
boycotted the Moscow Olympics of 1980.
One of the reasons the Soviets eventually
agreed to withdraw from Afghanistan
was economic problems at home.
After a vicious war lasting 8 years, the Soviets
finally agreed to withdraw.
Problems within the Soviet system by providing details and explanation as necessary.
Economic Stagnation
Military Spending
Economic growth had slowed from 5% to 2%, a black market had
developed, there was a food shortage, consumer goods were of
inferior quality, and resources were being used inefficiently.
The Soviet Union was spending 15-20% of its GNP on its military in
order to keep up with the United States
Political Stagnation
and Corruption
Ideology
Nationalism
Many members of the Communist Party were leading privileged
lives and had no desire to effect change.
Due to economic failure, people were beginning to question the
merits of the communist ideology.
Soviet citizens who were not ethnically Russian (over 50% of the
population) began to think about seeking independence from the
Soviet Union.
What were Mikhail Gorbachev’s initial intentions when he came to office in 1985?
Gorbachev wanted to rid the system of corruption while maintaining the communist
system.
Why was glasnost such a shocking policy for a Soviet leader to adopt?
Glasnost, “openness”, represented the first time that a Soviet leader was encouraging open
debate and the right to question the current system of government.
In 1987 Gorbachev implemented the policy of perestroika, which means “restructuring”.
This policy showed that Gorbachev was committed to economic and even social reform.
Why weren’t Gorbachev’s policies as effective as he intended?
Gorbachev was unwilling to change the communist ideology of the Soviet Union in his
quest to make reforms. This began to frustrate the Soviet people who were now more
concerned with economics than politics. He could not control the Party officials.
In what sense did Gorbachev’s holiday in August 1991 contribute to the fall of the
USSR?
While on holiday Gorbachev had left Boris Yeltsin “in charge”. Yeltsin emerged as an
effective leader when a group of conspirators attempted to take over the Soviet Union.
Gorbachev was ridiculed, and Yeltsin took further action by outlawing the Communist
Party in the Russian Republic. Because of this, several independence movements gained
momentum while Gorbachev was still on vacation – which would eventually lead to the
fall of the Soviet Union.
How is the Soviet Union structured now as we know it?
The Soviet Union has been divided into 15 smaller states and no longer exists as the “Soviet
Union”. Now it is known as the Commonwealth Of Independent States (CIS) – A
multilateral group of independent states which were once members of the USSR; formed in
December 1991; membership included all the states that once comprised the USSR, with the
exceptions of the Baltic States (Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia) and Georgia; Georgia joined
in December 1993.